1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet treating apparatus and an image forming apparatus, which can reduce installation space. The invention also relates to an image forming apparatus, which includes an image reading portion for reading an image, an image forming portion for forming an image on a sheet, and a sheet delivering space provided inside the apparatus. More particularly, the invention is directed to a sheet treating apparatus and an image forming apparatus, which can save space for the apparatus without losing visual recognizability or taking-out operability of a delivered sheet, and without making the apparatus complex.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional image forming apparatus including an original image reading portion such as a copying machine or a facsimile machine has generally been constructed in such a manner that the image reading portion is arranged in the upper portion of the apparatus, an image forming portion is provided in its lower portion, and recording sheets having images formed by the image forming portion are delivered from a side face of the apparatus to the outside, and stacked.
In recent years, however, in order to save space, as shown in FIG. 19, an apparatus has been made available, which includes space 103 provided between an image reading portion 101 and an image forming portion 102, and recording sheets are delivered and stacked in this space 103.
At the image reading portion 101, image information is fetched into a photoelectric transfer element by exposing and scanning an original sent from an auto original feeder (ADF) arranged thereon, and data processing is carried out.
Then, based on the data, a laser scanner 104 scans a photosensitive drum 105 to form a latent image. A toner image developed on the photosensitive drum 105 according to the latent image is transferred onto a sheet fed from a feed cassette 106, passed through a fixing device 107 to be fixed on the sheet, and delivered and stacked in the delivery space 103 by a delivery roller 108.
In the above-described image forming apparatus, to execute post-treatment such as punching or stapling on the sheet having an image recorded, as shown in FIG. 20, a sheet treating apparatus 110 is connected to a side part of an apparatus main body. The sheet is fed into this sheet treating apparatus 110, and subjected to stapling or the like.
However, the connection of the sheet treating apparatus 110 to the side part of the apparatus requires wide installation space. A reduction in this space only leads to a complex structure of the apparatus, deteriorating sheet taking-out operability.